The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking public comments to help identify issues associated with a proposed road maintenance and modifications project at Arches National Park. Comments will be used to help develop alternative resource protection options that will be outlined in an environmental assessment, according to a news release from the NPS. The environmental assessment will analyze the effects of conducting improvements to the park road, pullouts and parking lots within the park, the news release states.

All public comments must be submitted by March 12.

NPS officials said the proposed road maintenance would include rehabilitating, restoring and resurfacing approximately 18.2 miles of the park’s main entrance road, including the Devils Garden Loop, 2.7 miles of the Windows road including the Windows Loop and parking, approximately 2.2 miles of the Delicate Arch road, the Panorama Overlook road, Salt Valley Overlook road, and the Fiery Furnace road. The park is also proposing construction of a loop around road sections at the Devil’s Garden and Windows areas, expanding parking options at Devil’s Garden, and formalizing or rehabilitating pull-outs along the park’s paved road system. The park’s entrance station road would also be expanded to include an additional lane intended as a bypass route for possible future shuttle buses, according to the news release.

The environmental assessment must be compliant with the National Environmental Policy Act and will provide the decision-making framework that “analyzes a reasonable range of alternatives to meet objectives of the proposal ... evaluates potential issues and impacts to Arches National Park resources and values, and ... identifies mitigation measures to lessen the degree or extent of these impacts,” according to the news release.

Public comments may be submitted online at the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment website: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/arch. Click on Park wide Road Maintenance and Modification (Project ID 43632) to view the document. Those who submit comments and would like to be added to the project’s mailing list for future planning correspondence should indicate that in the comment.

Written comments may also be be submitted by mail to: National Park Service, Attention: Planning and Compliance Office, 2282 S. West Resource Blvd, Moab, UT 84532.

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